Sign.



F. S. SGHAEFER 61: W. D. NANGE.

SIGN.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 17, 1909.

Patented Apr.- 26', 1910.

INVENTORS Bed 15'. Jail/a6 fer Wz'llz'am B [Vance WITNESSES ATTORNEYS rrED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRED S. SCI-IAEFER AND WILLIAM D. NANCE, OF NORTH YAKIMA, WASHINGTON.

SIGN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 26, 1910.

Application filed April 17, 1909. Serial No. 490,546. 7

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FRED S. SOHAEFER and WILLIAM D. NANCE, citizens of the United States, and residents of North Yakima, in the county of Yakima and State of Washington, have invented a new and Improved Sign, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention is an improvement in advertising signs, and has in View a sign in which the letters or other symbols on display are illuminated by either artificial or natural light, the symbols in either case presenting clear-cut reflecting surfaces in any ordinarily lighted place.

The invention in general consists of a display member and an outlining member, the members being spaced apart to admit of the passage of the light between them from the rear of the sign, with the outlining member having a display opening through which the display member is visible at the front of the sign and having the rear face concaved or grooved at each side of the display opening and arranged to reflect the light falling thereon at the rear of the sign, on the display member.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of referonce indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a sign constructed in accordance with our invention; Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the same substantially on the line 22- of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the display member removed from the s1 T he sign in the embodiment of our invention shown in the accompanying drawings is made up of three principal parts; a sign board 5, an outlining or screening member 6 and a display member or symbol 7, the display member being arranged at the rear of and spaced from the outlining member, in which position it is supported from the outlining member, the latter having sockets S on its rear face, receiving pins 9 projecting forwardly from the display member for this purpose. The outlining member has a slot or opening through which the display member is visible from the front of the sign, the slot or opening being of a form corre: sponding to but slightly smaller than the display member, which has the form of the letter or other character to be displayed. The front face of the display member is concaved or grooved and is enameled or otherwise coated or-treated to present a refleeting surface. The rear face of the outlining member 6 is concaved or grooved and is similarly coated or treated to provide a reflecting surface and arranged to throw the light atthe'back of the sign on the reflect ing surface of the display member. This is insured by placing the edges of the display member approximately opposite the central portion of the outlining member and constructing the grooved reflecting surface of the outlining member at each side of the display opening in approximately V- form, with the outer side portion of the outlining member extending a substantial distance beyond the outer edge of the display member and making a lesser angle with the sign board than the inner side portion of the outlinin member.

The outllning member is shown to be made separate from the sign board and is secured to the sign board as shown in Fig. 2. For this purpose the sign board is provided with an opening sufficiently larger than the display opening in the outlining member to permit the point or edge of the said member to pass therethrough and protrude from the outer face of the sign board a substantial distance, giving the symbol an ornamental finish.

The sign board, outlining member anddisplay member are ordinarily constructed of sheet metal or other sheet material, which enables the sign to be economically manufactured. Any light at the rear of the sign, either natural or artificial, will fall on the reflecting rear surface of the outlining or screening member and be thereby projected on the reflecting inner surface of the display member. The light on the display member will be reflected through the display opening in the outlining member, making the letter or other symbol clear cut and visible from considerable distances.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a sign, a display member having a grooved front face, and an outlining member having an opening through which the display member is visible at the front of the sign, and with the rear face grooved at each side of the opening and arranged to reflect the light on the grooved front face of the display member.

2. In a sign, a display member, and an outlining member arranged at the front of and spaced from the display member, having an opening through which the display member is visible at the front of the sign, said outlining member having a grooved rear reflecting face arranged to reflect the light falling thereon from the rear of the sign on the front face of the display memher.

3. In a sign, a display member having a grooved reflecting front face, and an outlining member having an opening through which the display member is visible at the front of the sign and having a grooved reflecting rear face arranged to project the light falling thereon from the rear of the sign upon the reflecting face of the display member.

4:. In a sign, a display member having a concaved inner face, and an outlining member arranged at the front of and spaced from the display member, having an opening through which the display member is visible at the front of the sign, and provided with an approximately V-shaped reflecting rear surface arranged to project the light falling thereon at the rear of the sign upon the front reflecting surface of the display member, and with the outer side portion of the outlining member arranged at a lesser angle to the plane of the sign than the inner side portion of the outlining memher.

5. In a sign, a display member, an outlining member having an opening through which the display member is visible at the front of the sign, with the portion of the outlining member at each side of the opening approximately V-shaped in cross-section and having a reflecting rear surface arranged to project the light falling thereon from the rear of the sign 011 the display member, and a sign board to which the outlining member is secured, with the edge of said outlining member projecting outwardly from the outer face of the sign board.

6. In a sign, a display member having a grooved front face, and an outlining member having a display opening through which the display member is visible and provided with a grooved rear face at each side of the opening, with the outer portion of said face extended outwardly from the outer edge of the display member and spaced there rom.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRED S. SCHAEFER. \VILLIAIWI D. NANCE.

IVitnesses H. C. Lucas, 7M. F. MERRIMAN. 

